第二次世界大战中的德国，13岁的男孩埃勒斯因无人照顾进入了一家病院工作，但是他在那里却发现了令人震惊的事情（纳粹的纳粹安乐死计划），并与朋友们团结在一起，企图破坏这个计划，影片以孩子的视角展现了令人震撼的一段历史，以及人性的善恶，二战时超过五千名儿童死于纳粹安乐死计划。

　　When neighboring country Veragua suddenly attacks Curaçao and Aruba, the Dutch government is taken completely by surprise. The conflict escalates rapidly. Three young Dutch Corps recruits must figure out what is the right thing to do.

　　以色列军人敲开一个中产阶级家庭的门，宣布他们的士兵儿子阵亡，妻子晕倒，丈夫陷入无处躲避、只有依靠自残来发泄的悲痛中，夫妻俩伤心欲绝，方寸大乱，正在接受现实、安排葬礼的时候，军方又发来通知，刚才通知错了家庭，牺牲的另一个和他们儿子同名同姓的战士。悲极生乐，父亲却没有彻底放心，动用关系让军方赶紧把自己儿子从边境撤回来。没想到，回家途中又生变数，然而事情却又一波三折，发生意想不到的转折。

　　1940年4月9日，德军兵临奥斯陆，挪威国王面临着一个艰难的选择，这将永远改变他的国家。

　　1942年的德国，17岁的少年Friedrich（马克思·雷迈特 Max Riemelt 饰）努力训练自己，梦想有朝一日能够加入纳粹的训练营。在通过重重考试之后，他获得了机会，然而他的父亲却极力反对，于是他伪造父亲在文书上签名，成功成为了训练营的一名成员，开始了每天艰苦的训练。在其中，他认识了Albrecht（汤姆·希林 Tom Schilling 饰），一个德国军官的儿子，两人建立了深厚的友情。然而Albrecht却不热衷于纳粹，反而更喜欢文学和写作。Albrecht的父亲却希望儿子跟他一样，以后成为一名纳粹军官，两人矛盾不断。在训练营里，Friedrich和Albrecht发现了许多丑恶的现象，Friedrich的信仰开始有所动摇。而在一次水中训练中，Albrecht却再也没有从水中出来......
　　本片获2003德国电影奖最佳原创剧本奖。

　　May 1945: the end of the Second World War in the Tyrolean Alps. SS man Anton has deserted and been shot. On the run from his unit, he swaps his SS uniform for that of a dead Wehrmacht soldier and discovers a lonely mountain hut. Hannah, a Jewish woman, is hiding here. She takes Anton in and tends to his wounds.
　　But there is great mistrust between the two. Together they cope with the harsh everyday life in the remote hut. They are looked after by 16-year-old peasant girl Charlotte, whose family pays Hannah not to betray them. And at night, they hear fighting between the German troops and Italian partisans. Over time, a cautious familiarity develops between Anton and Hannah - he, who has done terrible things in the war, she, who has lost her family and has been struggling with fear and loneliness up here in the mountains for months. They grow closer. Hannah finds out that Anton was no ordinary soldier. He was in the SS, a man of conviction, at least at first. Brutal truths come to light. The war is as good as over, but what kind of future awaits them?
　　Georg turns up at the hut: He's been looking for Anton, hunting him down. He was the one who shot Anton - his best friend. Georg is fighting a battle that has long been hopeless, driven by hatred and the will to destroy. And he also wants to kill Hannah. High in the mountains, the decision is made.
　　The Deserter is a story about war and guilt, but also about helpfulness and humanity.